The Dickinson press., 1887-08-13
INDIAN TERRITORY.
ITS FIVE so CALLED CIVILIZED
NATIONS AND OTHER TRIBES.

NATIONS AND OTHER TRIBES.
Tho Form of Government Among tho
Nations-Whitcs Who Marry Into tho
Tribes-Rcntcrs, Dcspcra.locs, Miners,
Negroes and Half I:rceds.
There are Indians of all colors in the tcrri-
tory. Some are of the standard Indian COLOR
q rich copper; others are of Il brasSy Shade
and these are lalf breeds, but there are half
breeds also whose color is darker than that of
a full bloo,led Indian; in such there is negro
blood. Before tho war of the rebellion and
subsequent to it many Of the Indians owned
slaves and cotton plantations worked by them.
There are some fine cotton plantations to-day
near Eufaula, and many of the negroes who
work on them and get paid for their labor
picked cotton there before and during the
war, and after it, too, for their food. Some
of the Indian slave owners objected strenu
ouSly to giving the coorcd ncn their free
dom, and are not satisfied yet tina. they ro-
ceived justice in the transaction, particularly
as it seemed to be Il matter of 10 consequence
to tho freedman. The latter has learned all
about his rights since that time aud insists
upon getting them.
In addition to tho five so called civilized
nations-thc Cherokees Chuctaws, Chick;..
saws, SemnoleS, Crerks-tllere are IL number
of remnants of tribes i'll the territory. In all
there are about G5,000. Gov. Pcrryman, of
the Greek nation, is very Intelligent Indian.
His complexion is very dark, and lie is sup
posed to have negro blood in his veins. lle
is of stout build and medium height. llo
dresses i'll civilized garb, and has a co.plc pf
daughters who are handsome and fashionable
looking enough to attract attention any
where. Gov. Perryman can both read md
write. Buslly Head, tho principal chief of
tho Cherokees, is an intelligent half breed
Ono of his ancestors was white. Gov. Me-
Curtin, of the Choctaws, is tall and raw.
boMed.
FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
Each nation has n government not unlike
that of state. They have u council that
might be compared to n state legislature,
This council makes the laws, with the gov
ornors approval. The council can pass a bill
over his veto by Il two-thir,ls vote Eucl, na-
tion has II number of schools, and these uIe
reasonably well attended, though wealthy
Indians generally send their children TO tho
north for an education. There are two
schools at Muskogec and the Crccl, nation
itIl Il. ~ railroad
station ut train time has all the attraction for
the lmdian--the male--tlat it has for whites.
Indian women, however, do not rush to see n
train come i'll or go out and stare Mt lns,en.
gers Only white women do that, they say.
Many of the Indian women who have whito
blood in them are handsome and clever, and
not few are married to white men
The white man who mnrrics an Indian wo.
mn of bn fnt
far as his rights and privileges are concerned.
He can fence in all the land he wants, unless
he wants too much. If he shows disposition
to fence in all the unoccllpicl land in the ter
rtory his Indian ncighors will not call upon
him and argue the point. They simply cut
the fence down. He can, however, fence in
Il section-GiO acrcs-anl no one is allowed to
settle on or use the lnnl for a quarter of II
mile distant from his fences. Whitrlu,n WHO
marry Indians-the men who marry as n
business venturc-g"nernily engage in cattle
raising, and while they keep their herds in ,lla
territory they keep themselves in Texas ur
Kansas Not all of them, however fo,. i'm
addition to the shiftlcss white Indians tier.
are several Of the thrifty, go ahcnl kind Mhn
make their homes where they have made their
money.
Many Indian families bear names no, ,n,.,d
by the ancestors who roancd the forest in
the time of Christopher Columbus. There are
OToolcs, Flanignns, Shaughncssys and Muir
phys among the full blooded Indians These
names were given to them by the Canadian
trappers of the Hudson Bay company, tho
same men that named the Canadian river
that runs lcngthwise through the territory
LITTLE MANUAL. LABOR.
Few Of tho Indians do manual labor. I, fact
which accounts for the lara" ,unl,nr of
renters in the territory All ties used 10y the
railroads that run through the territory ;s,..
furnished by the Indians. who charge. a
royalty of ten cents per tie. Everything sid
IN the territory pays II royalty to th: nation
in whose territory the sale was made, and the
money is spent for school purposes. The uil-
cultivated land belongs to the nations hut not
to individuals. Land cannot be sold by Il per
son who desires to leave the territory Only
the improvements on it can be disposed Of
All the nations raise cotton and corn except
the Cherokees, who are north of the cotton
belt.
Tho desperadoes Of adjoining states often
make the Indian territory tcmpora.: ahid-
ing place. Even if they were allowed TO do
SO thsse characters wouldn't remain in tho
territory long. The southwestern Desperate
grows lonesome without his whisky and
W.. 20 NV 'o y. ~ .''' ,e'ii
+ho ;,,S, i l1r,,l..r n,I ,,'>, i'o. 'iis'
tolls tho tnlo E,,o ,r,lion. ~ ,i ,oe
coyered have 81 fave 'i,ys nan, l,u = n,a,..,',', n'
Ia tool, t,,o co,.,,s n,,, IS IN 1,,I, ',.i,'
and stoo th. l,,tn,. on t. s,,,I al IT.
oontant. inl ,,;lad an t,,o n,,;'.,.I ', '.i'
+nllo l;re il, tl,o ,,,,,,.d;ot, ,;4.;,'i.,.
Tn.,,. ore M ~. i,rll c,,,r.,,t,,,s -, NJ, 4,
,hor j., ,, l,,. s,.t,II,,,,.,. l., ~.